Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-23
A FUNNY SUIT.
A Man Sues for n Divorce Be-
cause His Wife IIltreats Him.

A Man Sues for n Divorce Be-
cause His Wife Illtreats Him.
Complaint was filed yesterday in
the Superior Court in the case Of
Drysdale VS.. Drysdale an application
for divorce on the grounds Of ill-treat-
ment. Contrary to the usual order Of
things the complaint comes from the
male side Of the house, who alleges
that the partner of his bosom keeps
him in a, continual state of mental
suffering and makes his existence a
miserable one.
"It's nag, nag, nag, from morning
till night. Whatever / do, ] can do
nothing right, Married life, Pm sick
of it quite, | wish / were single again. :"
The plaintiff states that he entered
into the bonds of matrimony with the
defendant.on the 1st of January, 1873,
and for about two years after that
memorable event his life was one Of
pure and unalloyed happiness. AT the
end of that time dark cloud of trouble
swept over his family. circle, as his
wife asserted her rights in manner
that he thought scarcely accorded with
the VOWS that she had made ''to love,
honor and obey" him. On the 5th of
March, 1875, the threatened storm
came. An unusually spirited
display of repartee on both sides
took place during dinner-time, and his
wife to add the force to her remarks
which she deemed the occasion re-
quired threw cup of hot tea in his
face accompanying it with a selection
of expletives which the plaitif de-
scribes as Insulting and abusive"
The day was doomed to be an event
full one for ere the plaintiff had had
time to recover from the shock to his
nervous system occasioned by his
wife's onslaught, round number two
began. This time his'marital partner
introduced sharp butcher knife on
the scene and to illustrate the pointed
ness of one of her remarks hurled it
at him striking him on the nose and the
side of the face. This settled the days
engagements and being by this time
thoroughly acquainted with his wife's
eccentricities plaintiff was careful
from that time on in the selection
of topics for debate in his
family circle. The eighth
of November of the same
year was selected by fate to be a day
of great moment in the Drysdale
family. Breakfast was announced and
plaintiff prepared to enjoy a good
meal ere starting to encounter the
tolls and troubles of the day. The
conversation was at first cheerful
enough and there was nothing to indi-
cate the sword which was hanging
over his head as he calmly slipped his
fragrant Mocha and combed the hairs
out of the festive biscuit. By one of
those idiosyncracies of fortune by
which the fate of all things mortal is
effected, subject arose to which his
wife took a contrary opinion to that
which he had formed. As the argu-
ment progressed he could see that
lIss wife was gritting her teeth
and by other outward signs dis
playing the volcano of pas
sion which lay smouldering
within her womanly breast. Foresee-
ing what would probably occur, he
made futile effort to allay her wrath,
but, alas, just as he was in the midst
of an effort of rhetoric which he hoped
would have the desired effect, his elo-
quence was checked by the approach
of plate, which came spinning across
the room in a manner calculated to
make him fear for the results should
~ ra,ol .fe .x,tan1n1 ",+l,
alertness worthy of the great Herr
mann, he lodged, and with loud
crash it struck the wall back of him
and was splintered into thousand
fragments. As he was standing in a
corner congratulating himself over his
dexterity of movement, he perceived
a glass tumbler speeding on
its wild career in his direc-
ton. This called forth another
lightning-like change of situation, and
as he stood painting from the result of
his exertions his thoughts flashed
back to a few days previous when he
had resented the willy entreaties of an
agent who had begged him to insure
himself against accidents. He de-
cided to lose no time in acting on the
suggestion Of the canvasser, so seizing
his hat he fled from the scene, and as
his manly form passed through the
doorway, his wife stabbed him in the
back, metaphorically, by calling him
a liar. This was more than his proud
spirit could brook, and in the bitter
ness of his mental agony he decided
to institute proceedings which would
result in making. him once more free
man. The cycles of time revolved
however, winters came and went,
and still found the warning couple
wearing the chains with which they
had fettered themselves during the
opening month of 1873. But alas,
that peace which is so essential an
element in the cup of bliss which |
Benedicts are supposed to sip was ever |
missing, and foreseeing that his life |
was doomed to be one of disappoint-
ment so far as marital happiness was
the plaintiff finally re-
solved to avail himself of that chan
mel of escape which the law affords
and yesterday he mounted the first
rung of the ladder on which he hopes
to return to that land of single bless
edness from which he departed four
teen wears ago